Question

apply what you have learned about the relationship between cardiovascular disease and diet to an intervention with yourself, loved one, or potentially in the future, a client or patient.

give some recommendations to these patient who are a family member that needs to chance their life style to lower their cardiovascular disease (heart attack) risk.

My mother has problems with high blood pressure and cholesterol. On top of that, she's not very consistent when it comes to taking her medications daily. She thinks its a hassle and that the pills aren't really necessary and that she can help her symptoms by changing her diet.

my brother is a heavy drinker and smoker. He is always up late playing with his computer. And have a poor diet.

Answer 1

Cardiovascular diseases are one of the most common causes of premature deaths occurring in the industrialized world. Some of the cardiovascular diseases include hypertension, atherosclerosis, congestive heart failure, myocardial infarction, and cardiac ischemia.

Some of the non-modifiable risk factors of cardiovascular disease include,

• Genetic inheritance or family history
• Aging
• Race

Some of the modifiable risk factors of cardiovascular disease include,

• Hypertension
• Smoking
• Obesity
• Diabetes
• High blood cholesterol levels
• Exercise
• Stress

Researchers argue that there is a direct relationship between the diet and cardiovascular diseases. For example, consuming the foods rich in saturated fats, and trans-fats, enhance the LDL levels, which increase the risk of atherosclerosis. The high-density lipoproteins (HDL) is good for our health because it helps in the removal of cholesterol from the body, whereas the low-density lipoproteins (LDL’s) form atheromatous plaques that will get deposited in the walls of arteries and causes them to become so stiff. Thus, the arteries lose their elasticity and the passage becomes narrow (intimal fibro-fatty plaques).

When plaque builds up in the artery walls and causes them to stiffen, the condition is called atherosclerosis. These plaques generally obstruct the passage of blood to various tissues causing ischemia (a pathological condition caused due to decreased oxygen supply) and also raises blood pressure.

The thickening of arterial walls also occurs with chronic smoking and chronic heavy alcohol consumption (raises LDL levels), which increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases.

The elements of DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan that is consistent with therapeutic lifestyle changes are given below:

1). Taking low-fat milk products, unsaturated fats from fish and vegetable oils can help to limit the LDL levels. The energy coming from total fat can be limited to 25 to 35 percent as per TLC recommendations with these diets. Trans fats should be completely avoided

2). Foods rich in sucrose and fructose must be avoided. In place of these, fresh fruits, cooked vegetables, egg white, yogurt, whole-wheat grains can be taken.

3). Seeds, legumes and grain products can help to meet the body’s energy and other nutritional demands. Sodium must be restricted.

4). Light to moderate consumption of alcohol (one intake per day for women and two intakes for men) through the beer, wine, and liquor is reported to increase the blood HDL levels and positive effects on atherosclerosis.

Consuming monounsaturated fats promote the synthesis of HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol levels, which is good for our health.

Reduced intake of trans fats reduces the blood LDL (low-density lipoproteins) that increases the risk of coronary heart disease.